MACON, Ga. (Sept. 17, 2012) – After having a week off from competition, the ETSU volleyball team returns to the court as the Bucs’ run to an Atlantic Sun Conference title begins Tuesday night at Mercer. The match is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. inside Mercer’s University Center.

The Bucs swept their way past Western Carolina (25-20, 25-14, 25-11) last Tuesday night in Brooks Gym, improving to 9-5 on the season. As a team, ETSU tied a season high with nine service aces, while also holding a plus-18 margin in kills (39-21) and a plus-4 advantage in blocks (10-6). Individually, sophomore middle blocker Meredith Hardy (Kingsport, Tenn.) tied her career high with three aces and added nine kills, five blocks, and four digs. Meanwhile senior setter Kayla Williams (El Paso, Texas) helped set up the offense as she tallied 33 assists, seven digs, and five blocks in the win over the Catamounts.

Meanwhile, as the Bucs were taking a much-needed break after playing nine matches in 12 days from Aug. 31-Sept. 11, Mercer played in the Winthrop Classic this past weekend in Rock Hill, S.C. The Bears – who won two of their three matches in the tournament – improved to 4-6 on the season. Mercer defeated Western Carolina and North Carolina Central in four sets, while being swept by the host Eagles.

Mercer is led by freshman outside hitter Molly Locke’s 3.47 kills per set, while she's averaging 3.53 digs per set. As a team, the Bears are posting 11.89 kills per set, but Mercer has also committed 37 more attack errors than its opponents in 10 matches this season.

ETSU has won four of the last five matches over the Bears and lead the all-time series, 7-4. The Bucs rallied from a set down to defeat Mercer last year in Brooks Gym, 3-1 (18-25, 25-23, 25-17, 25-15), as Megan Devine (Kingsport, Tenn.), Ivey Rice (Johnson City, Tenn.) and Hardy all registered double digits in kills. Devine finished with a double-double (14 kills/12 digs), while Hardy (13 kills) and Rice (10 kills) accounted for 23 of ETSU’s 58 kills in the match.

Fans unable to make the trip to Macon, Ga. can watch the game online for free on A-Sun.TV, while live stats will also be offered through MercerBears.com. Live updates on Twitter will also be available by following @ETSUAthletics.

ETSU Notes

The Bucs have won six of their last seven conference openers since joining the Atlantic Sun in 2005

ETSU enters Tuesday’s match with 132.5 total team blocks and ranks first in the A-Sun with 2.55 blocks per set

Megan Devine leads the conference in kills per set (3.92) and Meredith Hardy ranks first in blocks per set (1.29)

Meredith Hardy has recorded at least one block in 40 consecutive matches, while Megan Devine has played in 78 straight matches

Tuesday marks the 13th game away from Johnson City for the Blue and Gold this season; however, nine of ETSU’s last 15 games will be played in Brooks Gym starting with the Oct. 5 match vs. Northern Kentucky

As a team, the Blue and Gold have generated 10 or more blocks in nine of their 14 matches this season, including a program-best 18 in the three set win at Presbyterian on Aug. 28

Freshman Khadijah Wiley (Columbus, Ga.) has recorded at least one block in each of her first nine matches of her career